It’s no secret that we are exposed to a great deal more toxins in our daily life than our ancestors were. Toxic exposure from our daily environment and interactions with the world causes an influx of positive ions—highly reactive free radicals that put stress on our cells. Common sources of these positive ions include air pollution, exposure to unnatural lighting and screens, and outgassing from from household products and repellants used to treat carpeting and furniture.
Research suggests that excessive positive ions in the body could be one of the root causes of pain stemming from inflammation and other bodily imbalances such as hypertension and hypercoagulation of the blood. Additionally, we know that inflammation is at the root of all disease of aging.
The solution is simple, get grounded! The surface of the earth naturally carries negative ions that are one of the most powerful forces in neutralizing the excessive positive charge (inflammation) in our bodies. As James L. Oschman, Ph.D. writes: “the surface of the Earth is like one gigantic anti-inflammatory, sleep booster, and energizer—all wrapped up in one” (Ober, Sintara & Zucker, 2010).
Earthing—connecting our bare skin to the earth’s skin—restores and maintains the human bodies most natural electrical state, which in turn promotes optimum health and functioning in daily life. So as the weather warms, the invitation is to tap into your inner child and run around barefoot for a while.
Try one of the following practices and see how you feel:
- Take a barefoot walk on the beach, grass or granite.
- Go into the forest and sit on the earth.
- Swim and play in a waterfall.
- Go out after a heavy rain, breathe deeply, and get your bare skin on the ground.
- Find a nice granite rock or patch of untreated grass to sit or lay on for meditation.
- Lay on the sand without your towel then rinse off in the sea.
- Join us for Earthing Yoga!
Final Thoughts
When you connect your bare skin to the surface of the earth—whether walking, lying down, or even practicing yoga—you absorb the planet’s vast healing potential (free electrons), neutralizing inflammatory positive charges (pain and swelling) in your body, and connecting to your original source. If you are experiencing mental/emotional stress, you can also use one of the above practices to connect with ground beneath you, feel supported, while cultivating a sense of gratitude for and connection to the earth.
Have fun playing outside!
References:
Earthing: The most important health discovery ever? by Clinton Ober, Stephen Sintara, M.D. and Martin Zucker. Basic Health Publications, Inc., 2010
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About the Author
Allie Andrews
is founder/ owner of OmBody Health. A recovering busy addict herself, she is passionate about teaching busy people to rush less, create space for self-care, and mindfully flow between doing and being to be more effective, creative, and purposeful. She is a Certified Yoga Teacher, Health Coach, and experienced meditator who has been practicing regularly for 10 years.